Breathe Again
by ELunamoon
Summary: When Grell is sent to the hospital, why does William feel at fault? WillxGrell


Grell grimaced as swallowed two pills along with a gulp of water. You'd think he would be used to taking these pills by now. After all he had been taking two every twelve hours for the past four years. But each time he downed those things, shivers never ceased from crawling up and down his back. Grell's chronic asthma hadn't been an issue since recently. As long as he took his medication, he was fine. But lately he had been experiencing many more symptoms. He couldn't wear his favorite perfume because it sent him into a fit of coughs and he could only run extremely short distances before he would feel a horrible and painful tightness in his chest.

His condition was making his job as a shinigami harder and harder. It took him twice sometimes three times as long to get to a dying human than it did for other reapers. Of course, he didn't tell anyone. It hadn't been a big deal. And now that it's becoming this bad, his superintendents would most likely make him _retire._

Although a higher tolerance and immune system, shinigami do still get many of the same illnesses and chronic obstructive conditions as humans. It's rare…but it does happen to the select unlucky…

Grell shrugged on his signature red jacket and let it drape over his elbows before he headed out the door and headed to work. He was just a block away from his apartment and he was already out of breath. The change of seasons really affected him in a horrible way and the medicine he took barely worked. In fact, it did nothing at all. The a painful tightness bloomed in his chest and as he fumbled in his pocket he realized he had left his inhaler at his apartment.

"Tch…" Grell sounded. He was already more than halfway to the office so going back would only result in more of a problem than what it was worth. Today was already going terrible…And the last thing Grell needed was having to sit behind a desk and catch up on paperwork he had neglected.

As he entered the building, Grell removed the painful twinge off his face and replaced it with his normal constantly flirtatious, sharp-toothed grin.

Grell made his way to his desk, giving his normal greetings and suggestive passes at his co-workers, all the while hiding how awful he really felt. He sighed with relief as he sat down, that easing his discomfort somewhat. Laying his head on the desk, Grell took long, deep inhalations; trying to calm breathing down to a normal pace. As soon as Grell thought he may have a hold on his breathing, a hard _wack! _racked around his skull. Looking up to see who had delivered this uninvited extra dose of discomfort, Grell's eyes met the cold and annoyed gaze of William T Spears.

"Sleeping on the job is unacceptable." William said, withdrawing his death scythe.

"Ah Good morning to you too, Will!" Grell said with fake cheeriness, rubbing his head.

"I put the list of things you need to do today in the upper right drawer in your desk." William said, ignoring the sarcastic greeting. "Make sure everything gets done today. I will not tolerate any more slip ups from you."

Grell took out the list he was directed to getting and read it over. It was a complete two and a half, single spaced to-do list.

"Will!" the red-headed shinigami exclaimed, "This is too much! You know I can't do all this!"

"I don't care. If you fail to complete the given tasks then I will have to report you and that will most likely result in another demotion. Do you understand?"

"But, Will! What if I-"

"Do you understand?" William repeated more strictly, cutting Grell off mid-sentence.

"Yes…" Grell finally agreed with a sigh.

"Good. I'll be coming back various times throughout the day to make sure you aren't getting distracted or sneaking off." With that said, William left Grell and returned to his own office.

Grell looked over the list once more and cursed under his breath. Really, today of all days…When he felt his absolute worst. Today was going to be a long day…

~x~

And it was. Or what has already passed of it. It was only three hours into the nine hour work day and Grell had already had enough. He was sent into a fit of coughs whenever he tried to get up and move or when someone heavily cologned passed by his desk. Countless times he had been asked if he was feeling alright and Grell would only laugh and say he was fine. William did come back about twice an hour and Grell would put on a flirtatious façade and shove his discomfort back further and further until he just couldn't handle it any longer.

Grell clutched his chest and started wheezing heavily, gasping for air. This was getting to be too much…He had to go home…At least to get his inhaler. Then he would come back feeling much better and able to finish his work. He had let William down countless times and had planned to make it up to him today but…

Making his way toward the door, his hopes of sneaking out unnoticed were instantly crushed as a tall, dark haired shinigami stood in his way.

"Sutcliff, where do you think your going?"

"Ah, Will, hello. I was just going to get some…air…" Grell said trying to smile but instead a painful grimace was painted across his feminine features.

"Air? Or were you looking to slip out and evade the work you were assigned to do?" William said with narrowed eyes.

"N-No, really I just…Actually I need to run home and get something really quick and I promise I'll be right back! You know I wouldn't lie to you~" Grell said with a forced laugh and flip of his red hair.

"And what would be so important at home that you would need to leave your workplace and go get?"

Grell looked at the floor and mumbled something inaudible to William.

"Speak up, Sutcliff." he said with annoyance.

"I said my inhaler." Grell said looking up from the floor and into the cold gaze of the irritated shinigami.

William's eyebrow twitched. _Twitched. _"Your inhaler?" He repeated. "Really of all the things you could have said… Just go back to your desk I don't have time for this."

"No, Will it's true! I usually have it with me but I left it at home and I'm afraid I don't feel one hundred percent." Grell said trying to keep his patience. He was wasting time standing here and talking. He had had this once sensation before. The result was bad but preventable. If he could just get home…

"Am I supposed to believe that you left 'your inhaler' conveniently on the day where I give you one last chance to finish the mounds of paperwork you have to do?" William asked, anger written plainly across his usually calm face.

"Will, I have to.." Grell struggled to finish his sentence as a wave of painful coughs over powered him again. His whole body felt weak from the lack of oxygen and even coughing took effort. Clutching his chest, Grell leaned against the wall to support his heavy feeling body.

"Quit the act, Sutcliff. Get back to work!"

"Will please I-" Grell made a gasp for air before he collapsed to the ground, having lost the ability to cough and was now panting hard. His chest felt unbelievably tight and the feeling of his lungs being squished was even more prominent than before.

"Grell!" William exclaimed quickly dropping himself down next to the red headed shinigami. "What's wrong with you…" The once angry aura now replaced by a worried one as William stooped next to Grell, hand on one of the smaller man's shaking shoulders.

A small group of shinigami had gathered around the two, whispering to each other and asking what was wrong.

"Something obviously isn't right." William responded. "Don't just stand around; call an ambulance!"

As a few shinigami scurried around to find a phone; William laid Grell out on his back and held his hand while whispering whatever comforting words he could. Approximately seven minutes later, an ambulance arrived and William rode in it as well; having already lost his usual calm composure.

_I will NOT be judging your soul today Sutcliff… _

~X~

"What is his current condition?" William asked for the fifth time.

The doctor let out a long exasperated sigh and replied, "Better. We got 's breathing down to a normal rate. And although he passed out from exhastion, he should be waking up in a few minutes. You can go into the room now if you want. Visiting hours are over at six." The doctor quickly walked away to avoid being asked any more questions.

William made his way to the hospital room he was directed too and looked upon the pitiful sight that was Grell. His bright red hair was spread in a tangled wave around his pillow and slightly visible tears were dry on his cheeks. William walked over to his bedside and pulled up a chair next to it when a surge of guilt flooded through his conscience. _If I had only let him leave….If I had only believed him…_

_It's not my fault! _William reasoned with himself. _He makes himself out to be so untrustworthy…there is no way to tell if he is lying or being truthful!_

William immediately looked down in shame at thinking such a thing of a man who almost died. William's lowered gaze fell upon the pale hand of Grell and he instinctively reached out to touch it.

"Will…?" said a weak voice.

Quickly Will withdrew his hand and regained his businessman like posture.

"Ahem." William cleared his throat, "It's good to see you've regained consciousness. How do you feel?"

"Really tired but…better. I'm also a little thirsty and- Ah! What am I wearing!" Grell screeched loudly. William looked at Grell to see a unfitted white floral print hospital gown.

"Ahh to be in front of such a handsome man wearing this… What's a woman to do!" Grell fretted fake swooning back onto the soft pillows behind him.

William sighed and decided to ignore the 'handsome man' comment. "Your outfit is the least of your worries. The doctors said you had a severe asthma attack. If you hadn't of gotten help, it could have been fatale. Why didn't you inform anyone of you condition? In the first application there was a spot where you could write all any illnesses and ailments. All you wrote was 'too irresistible.'" William said rubbing his temples; already starting to get a headache just by thinking back on the hiring form Grell had filled out.

"Well it's true…Anyway I was only diagnosed four years ago! I didn't know then…"

"That is no excuse and you know it, Sutcliff." William said through narrowed eyes.

Grell like out a sigh. "I know…It was completely under control until recently…I just didn't want the pity! Plus… I was afraid that with my condition I would be forced to retire. I don't want to become a lunatic shut in like the Undertaker!" Grell exclaimed.

"Don't be disrespectful, he was a great man. And you wouldn't have to retire…You would probably be made into a secretary." William reasoned.

"And I don't want that! As much as I disobey rules, slack off, and skip out on work, I really love this job, Will. But after today…I don't know if they will let me back…" Grell trailed off sadly.

William didn't know what to say, knowing those words were most likely true. The two stayed quite for a while before Grell spoke up.

"Thank you." He said turning to face the older shinigami.

"For what?" He replied with a frown. He couldn't think of one think that he should be thanked for…In fact he should be yelled at and scolded. For not letting Grell go…For not giving him a chance to avoid this.

"I was panicking and I couldn't think straight. I still don't remember all the details but I do know that you were there with me the whole time. Thank you." Grell said with a rare sweet (not chaotic or flirtatious) smile.

"I…You shouldn't thank me. If I hadn't of gotten in your way, you could have got home and gotten to your inhaler. It's my fault your in here in the first place…" William said turning his head to the side in dishonor.

"You think…me being here is your fault?" Grell said with widened eyes. "I would have had the asthma attack either way!"

"No you wouldn't have. You could have gone home and avoided this whole mess."

"That's not true!" Grell said grabbing William's hands and forcing him to look forward at him. "If anything you saved me! It was my fault for forgetting my inhaler in the first place! And if you hadn't stopped me… I probably would have had this incident on my way there. With no one around me to help."

William almost cringed at the thought of Grell going through what he did in the office alone. Once again he didn't say anything and the two sat there. Grell holding William's hands with his own tiny feminine ones and both of their green eyes meeting each other.

"It seems there is a mistake on your filed papers. They say Miss Sutcliff instead of- oh excuse me am I interrupting something?" asked the doctor who had walked in on whatever 'moment' those two had had.

William quickly dropped Grell's hands and cleared his throat. "No you haven't."

"Oh good you're here. When can I be discharged?" Grell said with annoyance. "I can't stand to be in these clothes on moment longer!"

"Do not worry you can leave today once I get you a refill on your medication and a spare inhaler. But I would suggest taking a day or two off of work to rest a little. And don't forget your inhaler again." She ended, tucking a strand of bright red hair that had come loose from the bun she wore on her head.

"And you." She said turning to face William. "Visiting hours are over." The doctor then left the room, red heels clicking all the way down the hall.

"She's so stingy!" Grell yawned. "I can't wait to leave… Ugh…Anyway, have a good evening, Will." Grell said with a smile.

With a nod, William left the hospital room and walked down the long hallways till he reached the front door to leave.

The guilt he had mostly left but some still remained…He would just have to be…nicer. With that thought William inwardly grimaced.

Tomorrow he would-Wait. The doctor had said to let him stay home another day or two…

Once again, that man had avoided all work he was given…


End file.
